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I read the articles from Dakka and talked with my friends here and there and there seems to be no certain conclusion about how well Assault Marines do in games. I'm planning out an army using Shrike, which will give everyone fleet. With fleet, how well do you think Assault Marines would fare? I'm planning to field them in two ten-man squads with a power fist in each. I'm planning to take my army around 1500 points, what do you guys think?

Sounds expensive but fun. You have to use cover a lot with assault squads. Waste turns moving into a better position as opposed to charging. That kind of thing. It will take longer for them to get into combat but they are more effective. If one squad gets shot up the other will make it in range to attack.

I think it will work to an extent, but remember that like Bikers, every model lost is a 24+ point loss.

With that being said, I vote for supporting them with Drop Pod Tacticals/Dreadnoughts with Locator Beacons, and a rediculously scary Vanguard Vet squad kitted out for hard targets.

In the last codex I always ran 2 full squads, with Chaplin. They worked wonderfully. Of course that was when you could equip a Chaplin with Lightning Claws, helping your combat abilities greatly, and everyone could take melta bombs. While you don't get to do that anymore, the idea of taking 2 assault squads IS somewhat scary. Sure one may die but thats why you take 2!

I've only played against one player who used one, with a chaplin, and they ate thru 10 CSM, then nearly all my Noise Marines, and most of my Plague Marine squad. So I may have a skewed perspective on them, being afraid of them that is. They do offer a distraction for being shot at while the rest of your army moves into position.

Yeah. They can't be unsupported. Dreadnoughts deep strikes. Tacticals in transports. That kind of thing. By support I mean units moving up with them or dedicated to the sole task of making sure the assault squads don't die. Terrain only helps so much. You need to support them as well.

Transports such as rhinos/razorbacks and LRs, along with dreads can make a good mobile screen to help them get to where they need to be when terrain is not well enough placed for it. Remember they are as vulnerable as tactical marines, so treat them accordingly.